1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a writing apparatus, a writing system, and a writing method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, thermo-sensitive papers have been used for the labels on which the address of an article and the name of the article and the rest are printed. For example, such thermo-sensitive labels are attached to plastic containers used in factories. The label of the thermo-sensitive paper has characteristics that the color is changed by a heat, and therefore the thermal head and the like may be utilized to write characters and/or marks thereon.
In the writing apparatus with the use of such thermal-sensitive paper, there is a rewritable type one that is able to be repeatedly written on and erased from the same thermal-sensitive paper. In the case of the use in logistics, since it is desirable that the writing and erasing be made with the label attached to the container, there is a method of printing characters and the like by emitting the laser light to the label to heat it without contact. This writing apparatus has a relay lens system for transferring an image by the laser light entered from one end of a plurality of lens systems configured with a flexible joint to the other end.
It is expected here that there are a case where the fixed information is always written for some period and a case where the information is switched and printed for every write object. While these pieces of information may be managed by the writing apparatus side such as a laser marker and the like, they are generally managed and controlled by the information processing device connected to the writing apparatus such as the laser marker via a communication mechanism such as the Ethernet (Trademark).
Here, in the conveyance system as exemplified in this context, the write abnormality may occur when a printing is made to the thermal-sensitive paper. In the case of using the laser marker for the printing, for example, it is considered that the above is caused by that the write content is not color-developed because of a shortage of energy at the printing, that the printing cannot be made because of the displacement of the attachment position of the thermal-sensitive paper from the printed surface, and that the printing cannot be made because of the abnormality in the wiring device. Therefore, it is required to detect the write abnormality in the conveyance system which includes the writing apparatus.
Further, because the conveyer may stop when the writing abnormality occurs, it is required to promptly remove the write abnormality and recover it to the normal state. The recovery here refers to re-printing (or re-attaching) the content where the write abnormality has occurred as the correct information and re-operating the conveyer by starting with the state immediately before the stoppage of the conveyer.
Here, with respect to detecting the above-described write abnormality, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 7-206148 discloses that the data of the article is represented by a code (for example, a barcode), the code is printed or attached, and the code is read and classified by a reading device (a barcode reader). When the barcode cannot be read, for example, this is determined as the write abnormality.
Further, with respect to the recovery process, the reading device and a data checking unit including a monitor camera are provided and, when an error occurs at the reading on the way of conveyance, the monitor camera is operated from the control room to project the data indication part which has not been read by the reading device. The operator in the control room then recovers the conveying operation by reading the data indication part and again inputting the data of the article to the input device.
In the case of such process, when the abnormality occurs, it is not necessary for the operator to come directly to the site and check/re-input the content of the barcode at the site, which simply requires the operation from the control room. Typically, this is highly convenient in that the recovery can be made by the operation from the control room, because the place (such as near the reading device) where the content of the barcode can be checked is often the place where it is difficult for the operator to come.
In the above process, however, the monitor camera is required to be provided in addition to the reading device, which results in the increased cost. Further, because the re-input is made by a human, there is a concern that a new abnormality such as input error at that time is likely to be caused. Furthermore, the person who is experienced in operating the data monitor camera has to be always deployed in the control room. Therefore, there is a need to solve the above problems, namely to achieve the prompt and easy recovery when the write abnormality occurs.